Method of making fresh cheese with enhanced microbiological safety

Abstract

Described herein is a high moisture, preserved cheese product having enhanced microbial food safety and methods of making the high moisture, preserved cheese product. Enhanced microbial food safety is achieved by using a combination of organic food preserving acids, a nisin component and an enzyme.

1. A preserved high moisture cheese composition comprising:
 cheese having at least about 40 weight percent moisture; 
 a preservative blend comprising at least one organic food preserving acid or its food grade acceptable water soluble salt, nisin, and at least one enzyme which inhibits gram positive bacteria, gram negative bacteria, yeasts and molds, 
 the preservative blend of organic preserving acid, nisin component and enzyme being in an amount and the ingredients of the preserving blend being in relative amounts to provide the preserved cheese composition which will have less than 1 log cfu/g of pathogenic gram positive and gram negative bacteria for at least about 7 days when stored at 55° F. immediately after production of the preserved cheese composition. 
 
     
     
       2. The preserved cheese composition of  claim 1  wherein the pathogenic bacteria are  Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, E. coli , and  Clostridium botulinum.    
     
     
       3. The preserved cheese composition of  claim 1  wherein the preservative blend includes citric acid or the water soluble salt of citric acid and sorbic acid or the water soluble salt of sorbic acid. 
     
     
       4. The preserved cheese composition of  claim 3 , wherein the cheese is queso fresco. 
     
     
       5. The preserved cheese composition of  claim 3 , wherein the cheese is selected from the group consisting of ricotta, mozzarella and cottage cheese. 
     
     
       6. The preserved cheese composition of  claim 1 , wherein the preservative blend includes about 900 parts by weight, based upon the weight of the blend, citric acid or the water soluble salt of citric acid and 500 parts by weight, based upon the weight of the blend, sorbic acid or the water soluble salt of sorbic acid, 210 parts by weight, based upon the weight of the blend, nisin, and 12 parts by weight, based upon the weight of the blend, enzyme. 
     
     
       7. The preserved cheese composition of  claim 1 , wherein sorbic acid or its water soluble salt comprises about 0.1 weight percent, based upon the dry solids of a cheese curd which is a precursor of the cheese, citric acid or its water soluble salt comprises about 0.18 weight percent, based upon dry solids of the cheese curd, nisin comprises about 0.0042 weight percent, based upon dry solids of the cheese curd, and enzyme comprises about 0.00024 weight percent, based upon the dry solids of the cheese curd. 
     
     
       8. A method for preserving a high moisture cheese product, the method comprising:
 blending a curd precursor of the high moisture cheese and a preservative blend comprising at least one organic food preserving acid or its food grade acceptable water soluble salt, nisin, and at least one enzyme which inhibits gram positive bacteria, gram negative bacteria, yeasts and molds, to provide a high moisture preserved cheese product having at least 40 weight percent moisture; and 
 aseptically packaging the high moisture preserved cheese product, 
 the preservative blend of organic preserving acid, nisin and enzymes being in an amount and the ingredients of the preserving blend being in relative amounts effective to provide the preserved cheese product with less than 1 log cfu/g of pathogenic gram positive and gram negative bacteria when stored for at least about 7 days at 55° F. after opening the aseptically packaged preserved cheese product. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein the pathogenic bacteria are  Listeria monocytogenes Salmonella, E. coli , and  Clostridium botulinum.    
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  wherein the preservative blend includes citric acid or the water soluble salt of citric acid and sorbic acid or the water soluble salt of sorbic acid. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein the cheese is queso fresco. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10  wherein the cheese is selected from the group consisting of ricotta, mozzarella and cottage cheese. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the preservative blend includes about 900 parts by weight, based upon the weight of the blend, citric acid or the water soluble salt of citric acid and 500 parts by weight, based upon the weight of the blend, sorbic acid or the water soluble salt of sorbic acid, 210 parts by weight, based upon the weight of the blend, nisin, and 12 parts by weight, based upon the weight of the blend, enzyme. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein sorbic acid or its water soluble salt comprises about 0.1 weight percent, based upon the dry solids of a cheese curd which is a precursor of the cheese, citric acid or its water soluble salt comprises about 0.18 weight percent, based upon dry solids of the cheese curd, nisin comprises about 0.0042 weight percent, based upon dry solids of the cheese curd, and enzyme comprises about 0.00024 weight percent, based upon the dry solids of the cheese curd.